CKE Press Release

September 23, 2014

Bacon Fan? Join the Club

The Mile High Bacon Cheese Thickburger takes off at Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s

CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Finally, you can join the Mile High Club on firm ground. Now arriving at
Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s®, the new Mile High Bacon
Cheese Thickburger features premium, thick-cut Applewood-smoked bacon
piled sky high on top of a charbroiled, 100 percent Black Angus beef
Thickburger patty, along with American cheese, red onion, tomato,
lettuce and mayonnaise, all served on a Fresh Baked Bun. The new,
bacon-packed burger is available now at all Hardee’s locations and will
be available at Carl’s Jr. starting tomorrow, Sept. 24. Actress and
model Bar Paly will star in a new national ad campaign to promote the
burger, premiering next week.

“You can never have too much of a good thing, and for most people, that
good thing is bacon,” said Brad Haley, chief marketing officer at Carl’s
Jr. and Hardee’s. “But, we aren’t using just any kind of bacon. We’re
using a hefty serving of thick-cut, Applewood-smoked bacon pieces, and
we’re piling it on top of your choice of a 1/3- or 1/2-lb. charbroiled,
100 percent Black Angus beef patty, along with a slice of melting
American cheese, crisp red onion, lettuce, tomato and mayo, and serving
it all on one of our signature Fresh Baked Buns. This burger is bursting
with bacon goodness in every bite.”

The Mile High Bacon Cheese Thickburger is available on a 1/3-lb. or
1/2-lb. 100 percent Black Angus beef patty starting at $5.59 and may
also be ordered in a combo meal with fries and a drink. Prices may vary
by location.

The Mile High Bacon Cheese Thickburger will be accompanied by a new
advertising campaign titled “Propositioning,” developed by Los Angeles-
and Amsterdam-based creative agency 72andSunny. Set aboard an airplane,
the new spot stars model and actress Bar Paly, who asks her on-set
husband to join her in the Mile High Club. The new ad will begin airing
nationally on TV and will be available on the brands’ YouTube channels (www.youtube.com/carlsjr
and www.youtube.com/hardees)
next week.

CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (“CKE”) is a privately held company
headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif. Through its subsidiaries, CKE owns
and licenses Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® quick-service
restaurants. CKE operates Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s as one brand under two
names acknowledging the regional heritage of both banners. CKE has a
total of 3,532 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 42 states
and 31 foreign countries and U.S. territories. Known for its
one-of-a-kind premium menu items such as 100 percent Black Angus
Thickburgers®, Made from Scratch™ Biscuits,
Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ and Fresh Baked Buns, as well
as an award-winning marketing approach, the Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s brand
continues to deliver substantial and consistent growth in the U.S. and
overseas. The Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s system is now 75 percent franchised,
with international restaurants representing 18 percent of the system.
For more information about CKE, please visit www.ckr.com or
its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.